Vegan Chili Cheese Chorizo au Gratin Recipe

My fridge and pantry were both looking pretty bare the other night. All I had was 1 yam, 1 small potato, a leek, left over vegan chorizo, soy milk, flour and my usual spices and condiments. I decided to throw it all together with the cheese sauce I use to make my soy-free mac n' cheese. You know, sometimes an empty fridge is a blessing. I still can't get over how tasty this dish came out. I was worried Scott would think it was a hot brown mess but he turned to me and said "OMG Babe, this is AWESOME!" Word. I feel silly posting the recipe but more or less wanted to post this (even if it is a hot mess) to remind us all that even when we feel like we have nothing in the house to eat, we can still make a great, healthy vegan meal using pantry and fridge staples, a few veggies and a little imagination. Eating up dry goods is also a great way to save money and it keeps the stock piling at bay. I think I need to do more pantry challenges!

For this meal, I added 1 cup of crumbled vegan chorizo, 1 tbsp chili powder and 1 tsp cinnamon to the soy-free mac n' cheese sauce and then smothered the potatoes and leek with it au gratin style (an onion would have also worked). I baked it in a square casserole dish for about 40 minutes (until the potatoes were fork tender).

Description

A quick and easy vegan mac n' cheese that doesn't use tofu -- or fat! Miso can have soy in it, so be careful when selecting your miso if you have an allergy or dietary need (chickpea miso is soy-free!). You can also make this dish gluten-free by using brown rice macaroni.

Ingredients

Instructions

Cook pasta according to directions, immediately drain, rinse with cold water and set aside. Whisk all remaining ingredients (plus salt and pepper to taste) together in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a near boil and turn heat down to low. Stirring occassionally, allow the sauce to thicken up. Combine with macaroni, stirring to coat. Garnish with smoked paprika if desired.